| Polemonium reptans | |
|---|---|
| Polemonium reptans flowers | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Asterids |
| Order: | Ericales |
| Family: | Polemoniaceae |
| Genus: | Polemonium |
| Species: | P. reptans |
| Binomial name | |
| Polemonium reptans L. |
|
Polemonium reptans is a flowering plant in the genus Polemonium, native to eastern North America. Common names include Abscess Root, Creeping or Spreading Jacob's Ladder, False Jacob's Ladder, American Greek Valerian, Blue bells, Stairway to Heaven, and Sweatroot.
Contents |
It is a perennial herbaceous plant growing to 50 cm tall, with pinnate leaves up to 20 cm long with 5–13 leaflets. The flowers are blue to violet, 1.3 cm long, with a five-lobed corolla.
The dried roots have a slightly bitter and acrid taste. The root is rarely used in modern herbalism. It is harvested in the autumn and dried for later use.